Hard Iced Tea

[Firstnten]

Thought I would give this a try.

6 Gallons water heated until rolling boil, remove from burner, drop in a box of lipton tea bags (100 count) cover and let seep for 2 hours. Remove tea bags. stir in 10lbs sugar.

yeast nutrient 1 tsp per gallon.

Red star champ yeast (1 packet)

OG 1.092

I'm going to back sweeten it with 2 cups sugar and 2 cans lemonade concentrate.

It's bubbling away now.

Start date: 2-28-09

 

[MyZooTwo]

Funny you posted this today, I started a batch yesterday! I used a very similar recipe, a few slight differences, mine is coming along nicely today. Good luck! I heard this is a simple one to clear.
Take care...
Cathy

 

[abbeyroadhelp]

Just started a batch a couple week ago. I used less sugar the gravity was only a 1.045. I wanted a lighter drink for the spring and summer months will back sweeten with lemonade concentrate.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Let us know how they come out!

 

[Firstnten]

Will do, a friend of mine is doing a batch with "Arizona Tea Bags Mandarin Orange with gensing, honey and jasmine" when he first told me about the tea bags I thought it would be a tough ferment but his started bubbling before mine and we did it on the same day. He's not going to back sweeten with lemonade concentrate though. Can't wait to try it.

 

[MyZooTwo]

It's too bad we don't all live near each other, sounds like we could have a hell of a tea tasting party!

 

[PAC762]

I really want to try something like this. I love Twisted Tea and would like to make something similiar without having to stabilize, since I bottle-carb. Does anyone have an idea of how much slenda I should use to get a sweatness level similar to twisted Tea?

 

[johnyrrr]

So I just racked off my tea to kill the fermentation before I back sweeten it. I followed firstentens recipe....WoW is this nasty with out being sweetnd. Imight need to add more sweetstuff than 2 cup of sugar and 2 lemonade concentrates. Its pretty harsh now, its only 2 months old but damn, I could put it in the car and drive to work on it right now unsweetened. Anybody completed this recipie yet with good results? I was thinking of adding some sweetened tea to it too as it seems to have lost the tea taste too
No matter what it will get drank be me or friends

 

[Firstnten]

So I just racked off my tea to kill the fermentation before I back sweeten it. I followed firstentens recipe....WoW is this nasty with out being sweetnd. Imight need to add more sweetstuff than 2 cup of sugar and 2 lemonade concentrates. Its pretty harsh now, its only 2 months old but damn, I could put it in the car and drive to work on it right now unsweetened. Anybody completed this recipie yet with good results? I was thinking of adding some sweetened tea to it too as it seems to have lost the tea taste too
No matter what it will get drank be me or friends

I racked it this weekend, and poured off a gallon, and tried it with lemonade concentrate and without.

I had no problem drinking it either way.

But my wife wouldn't touch it without the concentrate.

 

[johnyrrr]

I racked it this weekend, and poured off a gallon, and tried it with lemonade concentrate and without.

I had no problem drinking it either way.

But my wife wouldn't touch it without the concentrate.

I didnt mean I wont drink cause I will. But did yours retain any tea flavor cause mine seems to have none. Did you also add sugar or just lemonade concentrate?

 

[Firstnten]

I didnt mean I wont drink cause I will. But did yours retain any tea flavor cause mine seems to have none. Did you also add sugar or just lemonade concentrate?

yeah mine had some tea flavor how long did you let the teabags seep for?

 

[johnyrrr]

yeah mine had some tea flavor how long did you let the teabags seep for?

an hour

 

[Firstnten]

an hour

I see

next time try 2 and let me know if you can taste a difference

 

[SueMac]

Firstnten:
When you racked it off the lees was it fully fermented and ready to drink? What was the approximate total time frame? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ryan099]

Ingredients for sweet ice tea:
8 Tea Bags
Ice cubes
Fine sugar (optional)
Lemon Slices (optional)

How to make ice tea:
In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of cold water to a boil.
Remove water from heat and add tea bags.
Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags and pour into a pitcher.
Add 4 cups of cold water and stir.
Add sugar and lemon to taste. Seve over ice.

 

[johnyrrr]

or just go to Mcdonalds and buy thier sweet tea.

Ingredients for sweet ice tea:
8 Tea Bags
Ice cubes
Fine sugar (optional)
Lemon Slices (optional)

How to make ice tea:
In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of cold water to a boil.
Remove water from heat and add tea bags.
Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags and pour into a pitcher.
Add 4 cups of cold water and stir.
Add sugar and lemon to taste. Seve over ice.

 

[johnyrrr]

I see

next time try 2 and let me know if you can taste a difference

I added a 1/2 a bottle of instant tea to my 5 gallon batch, 2 cups of sugar, and 3 Minute Maid frozen concentrates, pretty tasty now even with a a$$ load of alcohol bite. I will bottle it up this weekend.

 

[CATFISHER74]

or just go to Mcdonalds and buy thier sweet tea.

That stuff has a weird after taste
Remember don't squeeze the bags of tea when they are done.

 

[SueMac]

Started a batch this morning from a recipe posted on winepress forums: Hard Iced Tea Time - WinePress.US Wine Making and Grape Growing Forum

Here's what I did:
Hard Iced Tea – 1st Attempt – 3 Gallons

40 teabags (decaf, reg size)
6 cups cane sugar
3 tsp Yeast Nutrient
3 tsp Yeast Energizer
Lalvin 1116 wine yeast

Bring 1 gallon of water to boil. Add 40 teabags. Remove from heat and let steep 2 hours in covered pot. Remove all teabags and discard. Add sugar and stir until dissolved – heat slightly, if needed to help dissolve.

Add 1 gallon water to cleaned and sulfited primary. Add tea/sugar mix. Stir well. Add more water to bring to 3 gallon mark. Take SG reading and add more sugar if needed to reach 1.060 (recipe as is brought there exactly). Add nutrient and energizer. Stir well. Pitch yeast. Cover with light cloth.

I'm going to continue to follow the posted recipe:

Rack when done fermenting. Add sulfite/sorbate. Add 1 can frozen lemonade, taste and add up to 1 cup sugar, if needed. Degas, bottle and enjoy.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

 

[Firstnten]

Firstnten:
When you racked it off the lees was it fully fermented and ready to drink? What was the approximate total time frame? Thanks in advance.

When I racked it, it appeared done fermenting no bubbles in the secondary at all nothing coming up the sides.

Since this is the first time I have done this it was a recipe that i found on another site I'm learning here to.

I started on 2-28 and bottled it this past weekend. I back sweetened it with the cup of granulated and lemonade concentrate.

My concern now is bottle bombs so I have as many bottles in the fridge to prevent that also it will be consumed IMO before that happens.

I have seen almost no lees after moving it to the secondary. I'll let you know about the bottles when I get home tonight

 

[Firstnten]

I added a 1/2 a bottle of instant tea to my 5 gallon batch, 2 cups of sugar, and 3 Minute Maid frozen concentrates, pretty tasty now even with a a$$ load of alcohol bite. I will bottle it up this weekend.

Nice! I went back and looked at the original recipe I found online. He/she had a method of making the tea having a stronger more pronounced tea taste if you wanted, after fermentation but it seemed it would dilute the final product. basically brewing an additional gallon and pouring it in.

 

[Firstnten]

Ingredients for sweet ice tea:
8 Tea Bags
Ice cubes
Fine sugar (optional)
Lemon Slices (optional)

How to make ice tea:
In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of cold water to a boil.
Remove water from heat and add tea bags.
Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Remove tea bags and pour into a pitcher.
Add 4 cups of cold water and stir.
Add sugar and lemon to taste. Seve over ice.

So do you add the yeast before the ice?

If the sugar is optional how is it sweet tea?

What was the purpose of this post?

 

[SueMac]

When I racked it, it appeared done fermenting no bubbles in the secondary at all nothing coming up the sides.

Since this is the first time I have done this it was a recipe that i found on another site I'm learning here to.

I started on 2-28 and bottled it this past weekend. I back sweetened it with the cup of granulated and lemonade concentrate.

My concern now is bottle bombs so I have as many bottles in the fridge to prevent that also it will be consumed IMO before that happens.

I have seen almost no lees after moving it to the secondary. I'll let you know about the bottles when I get home tonight

Did you stabilize it before you bottled? I've never had carbed iced tea before...
WOW! I now understand "rhino farts" from fermentation! Lalvin 1116 and tea, yikes what a stink! As I have it in the 1st floor bathroom, my husband thought that the sewer was backing up! We are now fully christened in that regard! Hope the smell goes away FAST!!!

 

[Firstnten]

Did you stabilize it before you bottled? I've never had carbed iced tea before...
WOW! I now understand "rhino farts" from fermentation! Lalvin 1116 and tea, yikes what a stink! As I have it in the 1st floor bathroom, my husband thought that the sewer was backing up! We are now fully christened in that regard! Hope the smell goes away FAST!!!

No I don't like adding anything unless I 100% have to. Like I said it will be consumed before it carbs up

 

[SueMac]

Started a batch this morning from a recipe posted on winepress forums: Hard Iced Tea Time - WinePress.US Wine Making and Grape Growing Forum

Here's what I did:
Hard Iced Tea – 1st Attempt – 3 Gallons

40 teabags (decaf, reg size)
6 cups cane sugar
3 tsp Yeast Nutrient
3 tsp Yeast Energizer
Lalvin 1116 wine yeast

Bring 1 gallon of water to boil. Add 40 teabags. Remove from heat and let steep 2 hours in covered pot. Remove all teabags and discard. Add sugar and stir until dissolved – heat slightly, if needed to help dissolve.

Add 1 gallon water to cleaned and sulfited primary. Add tea/sugar mix. Stir well. Add more water to bring to 3 gallon mark. Take SG reading and add more sugar if needed to reach 1.060 (recipe as is brought there exactly). Add nutrient and energizer. Stir well. Pitch yeast. Cover with light cloth.

I'm going to continue to follow the posted recipe:

Rack when done fermenting. Add sulfite/sorbate. Add 1 can frozen lemonade, taste and add up to 1 cup sugar, if needed. Degas, bottle and enjoy.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

After very vigorous fermentation, checked SG last night and down to .994. Racked to carboy and took a taste. UGH! Nasty stuff! No tea taste whatsover! So...

New Plan:
According to Firstnten's recipe, I was down by 10 teabags. So, racked off a pint from the carboy and now steeping 14 more teags (4 extra for good luck?!) for 2 hours. To that I'll add: 1 can lemonade, 1 cup sugar and 3 crushed vitamin c tablets (as ascorbic acid to avoid oxidizing because I'm not sure how quickly this will be consumed).
To the carboy of tea:
First: 3 crushed Campden Tablets. Stir well.
Second: 1 1/2 tsp Potassium Sorbate. Stir well.
Third: Additional tea/lemonade/sugar. Stir well. (Top up with additional water, if needed or I may add something else.)
Degas for 5 minutes.
Let stand for at least 2 more weeks. Then taste again.
Thoughts? Comments? (Small window of opportunity). Thanks!

 

[jkpq45]

How did adding the concentrated tea help the taste? It's probably ready to bottle now. Did you get any further fermentation after you added campden/potassium sorbate?

Oh, and if it's done, we need a picture of it in a glass!

 

[SueMac]

How did adding the concentrated tea help the taste? It's probably ready to bottle now. Did you get any further fermentation after you added campden/potassium sorbate?

Oh, and if it's done, we need a picture of it in a glass!

Well, I didn't get a chance to sample much because I had to go into work (bad timing!). So, I'm hoping all is good with the tea, lemonade and sugar. Worst case scenario, I'll add some iced tea mix. I will say that I had to top off with water...had I put more thought into it, I would have steeped the extra tea in the additional water - live and learn! And no, no further fermentation.

Hmmmm, we'll see about the picture!

 

[Firstnten]

I'm down to my last bottle, so I started another batch.

This time I put the teabags in the brewpot before boiling 6 gallons of water.

Brought it to boil then let is sit for 2 hours, added 10lbs of sugar again.

It's bubbling away as we speak. I can post picks of the last bottle and me pouring it off if you want.

 

[jkpq45]

Okay Firstnten, let me see if I'm smellin' what you're steppin' in:

Add teabags to boil kettle, add 6 gallons of water. Bring to boil, let the mix sit for 2 hours. Add 10lbs sugar, bring back to boil, chill and pitch yeast?

I'd love to see that picture if you wouldn't mind. Does it taste bitter due to such a long, hot steep?

 

[impulserush]

I love twisted tea, and I am reading through this and have to know how to do one. Is it done like wine? Do you have to stop fermentaion? How and what is back sweeten?

If someone can walk me through this from start to finish I would be ever greatful!